Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-23
THE SEED BILL.
Speech in fhe House on the
Presidents Veto OF the Seed Bill
for the Drouth Sufferers.
How the Vote stcod-The Texas DeIega.
ton Badly Split Up, Three Not
Voting at All.

Correspondence of the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Feb, 16.-The debate in
the Hohse yesterday on the Presidents
veto ofthe bill to make special distri-
butioHof seeds in the drouth- stricken
counGes of Texas was principally con-
fiue8to the excellent statement of Mr..
L9hhsm who has laoored so long and SO
Earnestly for the passage of this measure
which is freighted with much good to the
state of Texas, and more's the pity it
could not become q law. The vote on
the question whether the bill should pass
over the veto of the President resulted as
follows: Nays, l59: yeas, SO; not vot
ing, lG The Texas delegation stood as
follows: Yeas, Lanham, Sayers, Culber-
son; nays, Jones, Mills, Reagan, Stew
art, Miller; not voting, Grain, Wellborn,
Throckmorton. Mr. Lanham's statement
was a clear review of the bill and why it
should be passed. He said:
Mr.. Speaker, inasmuch as | introduced
this bill, l am unwilling to let this occa-
sion pass without saying word in vindi-
cation of the action Of Congress in pass
| ing the measure. In the first place, it
! follows the precedents which have been
heretofore established in 1875 and 1885,
when bills Of similar character, and al
most in the same language, were passed
| by Congress and became laws.
II the organization of the Bureau OF
Agriculture be constitutional; if agricul-
tural seeds have been and are now being
distributed through the same for the
declared object of promoting agriculture,
and such distribution has warrant in the
constitution; if the agricultural interests
of this country are continental in their
eX .ent and character, and the vast ma
jOrity of the people be dependent upon
and sustained thereby; if the farm be the
storehouse and grsnary from which the
world is filed, and if the burdens OF
government fall more heavily upon the
agricultural classes than all others, then
l respectfully submit that the wants and
necessities of agriculture ought TO be
considered as equal in rank and dignity
to "the public service or benefit"
The encouragement of agriculture in s
large part of the country-more thar
thirty cOunties-where by the act of Goo
and through no fault of a people indus.
trious and energetic the rain has beer
withheld and consequent want and suffer
ing obtain, it does not seem to me would
operate an irreparabie lesion of the con
stitution if that which the government i:
accustomed to do generally were in
measure specially concentrated in thu
particular locality where the neces
cessity is the greatest. This was no
designed as an Independent and discon
nected appropriation Ct the public money
but, on the contrary, was considered IN
cldent as part and parcel of legislativ,
authority which meets annua! recognition
and approval. place the proposition no
upon the idea of charitable donation
but the advancement ana conservation @
q agriculture, in keeping with existin
usage and authorized practice of the gov
ernmeut. | now move that the bill an
message be referred TO the committee o.
agriculture.